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caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wow, what a good book! I do think it could have been shorter, but it was still excellent and kept me going.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Mental illness
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Suicidal thoughts
flyintothestorm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
It was weird, but the right kind of weird. I didn't know nor expect anything when I started reading and that may have been the best thing for me. That being said, it's really dark, look out for the content warnings.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Racism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Medical content
lilifane's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Okay, wtf did I just read?!
At first, the story was so nice and funny and light-hearted for the most part. Then it got more intense and weird. And around the 50% mark it got totally off the rails... and that was just the beginning.
Although I liked the characters, they did some questionable things throughout the book. I loved the dark fairy tale like atmosphere and the writing style. Especially the humour in the first half of the book, which did disappear for the majority of the second half due to how dark and intense the plot got. Btw, I did not like the name of the bad guy because.. why? Couldn't take him seriously tbh, and it took out all the tension every time it was mentioned.
I liked how unpredictable the plot was and all the different parts of it. I just think the book was too long. At least it felt like it was dragging sometimes despite all the action and mystery elements.
At first, the story was so nice and funny and light-hearted for the most part. Then it got more intense and weird. And around the 50% mark it got totally off the rails... and that was just the beginning.
Although I liked the characters, they did some questionable things throughout the book. I loved the dark fairy tale like atmosphere and the writing style. Especially the humour in the first half of the book, which did disappear for the majority of the second half due to how dark and intense the plot got. Btw, I did not like the name of the bad guy because.. why? Couldn't take him seriously tbh, and it took out all the tension every time it was mentioned.
I liked how unpredictable the plot was and all the different parts of it. I just think the book was too long. At least it felt like it was dragging sometimes despite all the action and mystery elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Racism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Medical content, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, Violence, and Pregnancy
bandysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Changeling is a mix of horror and modern day fairytale that creates a really unique story. It follows a family who is rocked by a tragic event, leaving a distraught father in its wake. It explores grief, generational trauma, and the meaning of family.
During the first part of this book, I was a bit confused and honestly a bit bored. It just seemed like a story about a family, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Once the story is set, it picks up quickly and gets really interesting.
I thought the way that this book explored trauma was very unique as well. We See two people who are really struggling and are not receiving the support that they need. The consequences of that ripple throughout the story.
All in all, if you like horror and fairytales mixed with real life, I think you’ll like this book. There are some difficult topics in it, so please check the trigger warnings.
TW: Murder, Death of a Child, Mental Illness, Blood, Assault, Guns
During the first part of this book, I was a bit confused and honestly a bit bored. It just seemed like a story about a family, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Once the story is set, it picks up quickly and gets really interesting.
I thought the way that this book explored trauma was very unique as well. We See two people who are really struggling and are not receiving the support that they need. The consequences of that ripple throughout the story.
All in all, if you like horror and fairytales mixed with real life, I think you’ll like this book. There are some difficult topics in it, so please check the trigger warnings.
TW: Murder, Death of a Child, Mental Illness, Blood, Assault, Guns
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse
matthewosborne's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A very strange but enjoyable book. Reminded me a lot of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.
My main critique is that I think the author could have shown more of the relationship between Apollo and Emma after Brian was born. We have to infer a lot of how Apollo treated Emma poorly because apart from a couple of scenes, it seemed to me that he was a good husband.</spoiler >
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Mental illness, and Murder
oodles17's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Whooo boy this was an incredibly hard read as a mother
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Murder, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Racism
bookish_bry's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was a bit of a slow start and it was a bit hard to get into. I did end up liking it a lot in the end, though it wasn't perfect. Sometimes I was frustrated by the characters not really communicating well, but overall it was okay.
It was an interesting look at all of the pitfalls of parenthood. We saw the consequences of parents who didn't pay enough attention and ones who paid too much. We saw parents who "loved" their children enough to kill them and ones that harmed them just by not knowing what they were doing.The troll in the end was just a stand in for parents who mess up. It was basically a physical representation of Apollo's issues with his own father that he had to both learn to see for what they really were and eventually overcome with his wife in order to save his son.
It was an interesting look at all of the pitfalls of parenthood. We saw the consequences of parents who didn't pay enough attention and ones who paid too much. We saw parents who "loved" their children enough to kill them and ones that harmed them just by not knowing what they were doing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Gore, Racism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Classism, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
kingsteph's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy and Violence
Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt
foxo_cube's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I wasn't sure how this one was going to go when I started reading it - I didn't get on too well with the writing style initially, and, although I settled into it, I'd still say it's not my favourite. Not outright bad or anything, just not for me.
Nonetheless, it wasn't a dealbreaker, and I'm very glad I continued reading because it's a HELL of a story. If ever you think you know where the plot's going - which, for me, was often - you are proven wrong pretty quickly. It heavily telegraphs one thing, then does something else entirely. The book narrowly avoids going into the territory of silliness, and I mean that in a good way. At least, I like that sort of thing.
I do think some of the "Internet bad" messaging is a little heavy-handed. It's not preachy, or even totally anti-Internet - part of the book's sentiment is simply about caution when using social media, which is a pretty important thing. Still, I can't not mention it. The troll bit is especially obvious as a metaphor. The only other big criticism I have of this book is that the characters are a little flat. They're enough to be invested in - what shines through most is Apollo's absolute adoration of his son, and that is beautifully expressed - but it's sort of... just enough for that, if that makes sense.
The thing that made this story work for me is how curious it made me to find out the truth. Because you mostly know only what Apollo knows, and uncover things along with him, you will often find yourself led to believe one version of events only to discover, later, a whole different truth entirely. The way that LaValle pulls that off is fantastic.
I think this will be a book worth re-reading because, having read this in two sittings, more-or-less, I noticed that there was a sort of breadcrumb trail for the curveballs in the plot, and I'd like to see if this is more visible the second time round.
Nonetheless, it wasn't a dealbreaker, and I'm very glad I continued reading because it's a HELL of a story. If ever you think you know where the plot's going - which, for me, was often - you are proven wrong pretty quickly. It heavily telegraphs one thing, then does something else entirely. The book narrowly avoids going into the territory of silliness, and I mean that in a good way. At least, I like that sort of thing.
I do think some of the "Internet bad" messaging is a little heavy-handed. It's not preachy, or even totally anti-Internet - part of the book's sentiment is simply about caution when using social media, which is a pretty important thing. Still, I can't not mention it. The troll bit is especially obvious as a metaphor. The only other big criticism I have of this book is that the characters are a little flat. They're enough to be invested in - what shines through most is Apollo's absolute adoration of his son, and that is beautifully expressed - but it's sort of... just enough for that, if that makes sense.
The thing that made this story work for me is how curious it made me to find out the truth. Because you mostly know only what Apollo knows, and uncover things along with him, you will often find yourself led to believe one version of events only to discover, later, a whole different truth entirely. The way that LaValle pulls that off is fantastic.
I think this will be a book worth re-reading because, having read this in two sittings, more-or-less, I noticed that there was a sort of breadcrumb trail for the curveballs in the plot, and I'd like to see if this is more visible the second time round.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Grief, Body horror, Mental illness, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, and Torture
Minor: Racism
reading_rainbow_with_chris's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
“The Changeling” by Victor LaVelle
A young bookseller and his wife give birth to a baby boy, a start to their happy family. However, when the mother sees a monster instead of her child, her desperate attempts to find her true baby unlock an ancient story that the bookseller has to see to the end. For me personally, it was also an ancient journey that took a little too long for my liking. LaVelle’s concept was very strong and I appreciated many elements of the writing style. However, at times it felt like scenes were dragging and didn’t have the payoff they needed to. Chapters seemed to end on odd phrasing. I also felt like there were too many varied themes going on; it didn’t feel cohesive and I struggled to see how some of the parts fit together in ways which were organic. Ultimately it was still a fine listen and I was motivated enough to hear how the story ended, but for me “The Changeling” suffered from a few small, consistent flaws that added up to an experience that didn’t resonate with me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Abandonment, and Violence